Yesterday was a big day for equality in two of Delaware’s next door neighbors. In Maryland, the Maryland House of Delegates passed their gay marriage bill. It now heads to the Maryland Senate, where passage is assured, because the Senate passed the bill last year but it died in the House. Thus, with Governor Martin O’Malley’s promised signature, Maryland will become the 8th state to allow gay marriage.

In New Jersey, the New Jersey Assembly also finally passed their gay marriage bill after a previous failed attempt in 2009. However, the obese one, Governor Chris Christie, swiftly vetoed the bill, cowardly and unconstitutionally hiding behind the notion that he wants the issue to go to a referendum so that the majority can take the rights of the minority away. Like a true fascist, Chris Christie loves that idea.

Perhaps he should listen to some of his Republican colleagues:

If that doesn’t work, perhaps he should take his cue from the former Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney, a man without a functioning human heart and decades of evil to his name, but who has a daughter who is gay, and he is trying to get into heaven now.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman are among the high-profile figures lobbying Maryland lawmakers to vote in favor of marriage equality in the state. Mehlman called Republican Del. Wade Kach, who also reportedly received an offer to talk to Cheney about the issue; Kach said however that out of state input was not a factor in his decision to support the bill, which he had voted against in committee just two days before.

It occurs to me that Chris Christie just ended his presidential prospects. There is no stopping equality. Already a majority of Americans support gay marriage, and support is only growing. By 2016, this veto will be disqualifying factor to the general electorate. He may win a Republican primary, but hate filled theocratic fascists thankfully do not constitute a majority of Americans, and their numbers will only continue to drop as they grow old and die. The generations that make up the 18 to 35 year olds in this country overwhelmingly support equality. So opposition to gay marriage, and hatred of gays, is a dying issue. And Chris Christie just signed his political death warrant.

Christie remains obnoxious and hateful, but will this hurt him politically? Not with the radical right that constitutes much of the Republican party these days, certainly not with the Rick Santorum school of social conservatives. Just as this will energize those who back marriage equality it will also bring out the haters. But Christie’s made a mistake here, gay marriage is coming like it or not and this will not be forgotten.

I think you’re right DD, that this will hurt his presidential prospects. Four years is a long time in politics and support for marriage equality is rapidly growing. There’s still a lot of people in the squishy civil unions but not marriage camp but look at what’s happening. In a short period of time New York, Washington, Maryland and New Jersey have moved forward on marriage equality, while California may gain back equality soon. We will probably get a SCOTUS ruling within a year. Once it starts happening, people will get comfortable with it. In four years the GOP (unless they’ve moved back from the edge of the cliff) will look even more out-of-touch with the rapidly changing demographics. I think Christie is making a gamble that not outright vetoing (calling for a referendum instead) will inoculate him with both camps (people who hate marriage equality and those who support it). I think he’s wrong.

That statement by Maureen Walsh is an eloquent indictment of Christie and the hate factory that the GOP has become.

Walsh is a hero in my book, but why do Republicans have to have an “out” family member to have empathy? Republicans don’t consider themselves part of a larger family, they think that they are outside and above mere humanity.

It is sad to me that they are living these wasted lives. There is so much joy and love and happiness around and all you have to do is be open to it.

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